The Hire 14.

The Duchy Of Phelm. The Kingdom Of Nastell...

They've been sent back south. Probably because they're still alive. Unlike most of the other squads who were assigned to the same area around the border as they were.
On their journey south, they pass by the large village of Dalbar Falls. Which is the northern most staging ground, on what is thought to be the most eastern edge of the front.
Once they've gone by there, they continue southwards through the foothills that make up the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
Which go at least halfway down into the duchy of Phelm, before turning further east into the next duchy to the southeast.
Their squad is fairly infact. Having no fatalities, and only a couple of minor injuries. And they were caused by accidents, and not by the enemy from the unruled lands to the north of the border.
The squad leader Barron knows the only reason the squad is in such good shape is because of the elven ranger Dalin. And the two dwarven cousins, Shawtus and Smawfri who usually back up the elf.
The three mercenaries, the only three in the squad. Are the reason they're still alive. Unlike most of the other squads who were patrolling the same region of the border. Both here in the kingdom, and across in the unruled lands. Who are now either dead or captured.
As they head south, they pass those in the army of the duchy of Phelm going north.
At times they pass by squads as small as their's. And at other times, they walk by a line of march, of a couple of hundred going the other way.
Soldiers in the army of duke Hargen. As well as mercenaries he's hired in his war against the robber barons from the unruled lands across the border.
It's early morning, and they've got underway again as they continue southwards.
Barron the squad leader spots something in the sky to the southwest, and he asks the pair of dwarven mercenaries if it's an airship. And more importantly if it's on their side.
He's answered with a grunt, that sounds to be positive from Shawtus. Who like his cousin and fellow mercenary, Smawfri. Aren't particularly fond of mornings, or early starts.
It doesn't help that they're a grouchy duo if they haven't had a drink in a while.
Barron has learnt that dwarves tend to like their alcohol. And if they don't have any every once in a while. They get grumpy.
The squad leader looks ahead along the road, and sees the scout coming back down from a crest upon the hill the road goes over.
"There's a castle a few miles away to the south" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy when he gets back to the rest of the squad.
The spy from the elven principality of Alínlae, who is infact in the service of the mercenary army from the lands Farque, who have been hired by the robber barons of the unruled lands who are at war with the duke of Phelm.
Tells Barron, who like the rest of the squad, thinks he's a mercenary ranger from the principality of Alínlae "Seems to be a fair bit of the duke's army camped in and around it".
"That must be Halvíc" says Barron the squad leader, who continues with "And that's where we're going". As their orders are to report to the staging grounds at Halvíc.
Their squad who originally came up from the south, further to the west in the duchy.
Are to report to the commander of the region. Who wants a detailed account of the enemy movement they've observed in their patrol since being assigned to the border region at what's considered to be the eastern end of the front against the forces of the robber barons of the unruled lands.
They continue southwards, passing others in their army who are traveling north. Most on foot like they are. But mounted squads, both cavalry and scouts, occasionally go by too.
They top the hill, like many of the surrounding hills. Is brown, or turning brown. As the grass turns to a straw colour in the heat of the early summer.
Once they go down the hill, the land kind of flattens out. So much so, there's even farms that lead to the castle of Halvíc. Which seems to have a village outside of it's gates.
Not to mention a large army camped in and around it.
"How many here do you reckon?" asks the squad leader Barron, a young man in his early twenties, who hails from the south of the duchy of Phelm.
"At least a couple of thousand" is the reply of Dalinvardél Tanith, who then adds "A little over it by the looks of things".
Behind the elven spy and the squad leader. Walks the two dwarven mercenaries. And as Shawtus grunts in agreement with the elf they all think is a ranger from the principality of Alínlae. His cousin Smawfri McQuade, loudly mutters "They better have some decent ale there".
"Fairly decent sized force" says Barron, who then looks at the elf he thinks is just a ranger, who says "Probably going to make a push against the enemy".
The spy Tanith continues with "Which isn't much of a surprise, considering how many of them we saw at the border".
"Aye Dalin's got the right of it" says Shawtus McQuade, who continues with "Tis why they called us back too. To help with the planning of the attack since we're some of the few in the area who have seen the enemy and survived".
"No thanks to those fucking idiot patrol leaders we got dumped with" sourly says Smawfri in the dwarven language, his cousin Shawtus grunts in agreement.
The spy Tanith, who knows a smattering of words in the dwarven language. More so now, that he's spent time in the company of the McQuade cousins.
Knows that the two dwarves are complaining about something. And when they do in their own language. He knows it's probably something to do with the army they've been hired into.
As all three of them have found out. Not to mention the rest of their squad. That though baron Hargen's army is pretty effective.
There's some within it. Those in the positions of patrol leaders and other middle ranking officers.
Don't seem to be particularly effective, or talented when it comes to warfare. At least not the ones one's they've had to deal with.
From what they've witnessed, and also from what they've heard from other squads.
Many of those officers are of the nobility within the duchy. Younger sons. Third and fourth sons of some of the noble families in the duchy.
Who have been appointed to their positions. More because of their rank within the kingdom's nobility, than they're ability within an army, or during battle.
Someone like Barron, who is from a farming family in the south of the duchy. Who is the equivalent of a sergeant.
Might one day, be able to make the rank of sergeant at arms in duke Hargen's army.
And no matter how competent, or effective he is. It could take him a long time before he could become a patrol leader.
Those who command anything from between three squads, or a dozen squads depending upon their size.
All because he is wasn't born into a noble family.
"Brought some war machines up" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith when he spots them to one side of the castle.
As the squad leader nods, behind the two infront. The dwarven cousins who hail from the east of the Sunreach Mountains.
Carefully look at the war machines and siege equipment that are here at castle Halvíc.
They both grunt, seeing nothing unique or interesting. Just sturdy, and efficient looking war machines.
Which to their experienced eyes, seems like they'll acquit themselves well in battle.
"Look like they'll do the business" says Smawfri McQuade, his cousin Shawtus grunts in agreement.
The cousins, who at one time just over a decade ago. Were basically the joint leaders of their clan.
Until they went off on expedition with their dreadnought. A dwarven airship. Which is the largest of all flying warships. Not just in the Southlands. But anywhere across the world of Volunell.
Until it was destroyed in a war, faraway to the south, in the kingdom of Melaurn.
Where the cousins lost most of their crew and those who had joined them. As well as their uncle Maddee McQuade. Who was a dwarven delver. Those dwarves who are spellcasters.
"Though rather ineffective since the enemy don't exactly have a lot of villages or towns near the border" says Shawtus, who is the older of the two cousins, and the slightly taller of the two.
"Aye only good in a pitched battle somewhere" adds the younger cousin Smawfri, who continues with "Unless you can get them further north into the mountains where those bastards across the border have their larger villages and towns".
Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well.
And the name he's going by as he's in the midst of baron Hargen's army.
Can only agree with the dwarven mercenaries from the Sunreach Mountains.
The war machines here at the staging point of castle Halvíc. Will only be effective in a pitched battle somewhere.
Something that's going to be a tad bit difficult, due to all the hill country here in this region of the duchy of Phelm. And across the border in the claims of the five robber barons who have aligned with one another. Who have decided to wage war upon the duchy of Phelm, and it's leader, duke Hargen.
They make their way along the road, and soon enter the camp. And after asking around a bit. They find out that the region commander is within the castle.
"Figures" murmurs the squad leader Barron. While beside him, Dalinvardél Tanith is quickly counting the amount of soldiers and those in support positions in the camp. As well as assessing their weapons and armour.
Not to mention guessing their experience in combat. By simply looking at how old they are.
The elven spy from the principality of Alínlae also takes note at how many mercenaries are here at the staging ground at Halvíc castle.
And sees quite a few of them. He hasn't seen so many mercenaries in one spot since the day he signed up with duke Hargen's army. The same day that the dwarven cousins, Shawtus and Smawfri McQuade joined up as well.
They go through the village, well small town really. That surrounds the castle on three sides.
They're stopped at the northern gates of the castle, and are admitted when Barron tells the guards there that they're to report to the area commander. And he shows them small rolled up parchment with those orders.
The small squad who total twelve including their leader. Make their way across the bailey, and at the entrance to the keep, they're directed around to a side door. And given directions to a room, where an adjunctant is in charge of who gets to see the area commander.
They enter the keep, with the spy Tanith observing the placement of the guards. As well as the fortifications of the castle. Which is much smaller, and less defended than the last castle he spent a bit of time in. That being castle Lé Dic in the kingdom of Druvic.
They enter the keep, and are quickly in an ante chamber. It has a secretary behind a desk. And a couple of soldiers lounging on chairs in one corner.
There's benches a plenty along one wall, that accommodates the squad. While Barron speaks to the secretary, about seeing the adjunctant, who is a subcommander. Who happens to be in the next chamber.
As the secretary, a junior officer slowly reads the orders that Barron hands him. And as Shawtus loudly murmurs "If i don't get a drink soon I'm gonna start smashing some heads in".
While sitting next to him, his cousin Smawfri has taken out a whetstone, and is honing the blade of one of his axes as he glares at the secretary sitting behind the desk.
Who after one look at the pair of menacing looking dwarves. Tells Barron to wait, and gets up and hurries into the next room.
The soldiers in the corner, who are guards. Nervously watch the pair of dwarven mercenaries who would rather be anywhere, than be here waiting around for an adjunctant to see them.
The secretary is soon back in the ante chamber, and he says to Barron "This way". The squad leader looks at his men, then says "Dalin with me" he pauses for a moment, then adds "Shawtus and Smawfri too" as he figures it's probably best if he keeps the dwarven cousins close to him so that he can keep an eye on them.
"The rest of you wait here" says Barron, who along with the three mercenaries in the squad, who happen to be the only non humans in the squad, follow him and the secretary into the next chamber.
The adjunctant sits behind a large desk, that has a lot of maps on it. He has an assistant at one end of the large desk, who he's dictating orders to. The assistant, a scribe, is writing them down onto small pieces of parchment.
As the subcommander speaks with Barron. And as Dalin stands next to a pair of restless dwarves. The elven spy looks at the maps, and other documents spread across the desk. Which he can easily see, where he stands back from the desk with Shawtus and Smawfri, behind their squad leader.
"You're the only one's to come back so far from up there" says the adjunctant "Probably because most of the others have been wiped out or captured" says Barron.
Which causes the eyebrows of the subcommander to lift up, then he frowns as Smawfri loudly mutters, this time in common "No thanks to those piss pot of an excuse for patrol leaders we had to endure".
Barron winces at that, but he doesn't say anything to contravene what the dwarven mercenary just said.
"I see" says the subcommander, who after a pause continues with "The commander will want to know what you lot have seen".
The adjunctant gets up from behind the desk, and says to everyone in the chamber "Come along then".
As both Shawtus and Smawfri McQuade loudly sign, as they follow after the adjunctant and their squad leader.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy wonders if he should kill the area commander they're off to meet if he gets the opportunity to do so.
The spy from the elven principality of Alínlae who is the mercenary army from the lands Farque. Will decide about that, after he's learnt more about this part of duke Hargen's army, who have set up a staging ground here at castle Halvíc . . . . . .